The picture shown here is a beautiful mosaic created by Catherine Schwebel. Catherine is one of the chaplains serving on board the Africa Mercy with her husband and three children. She is an incredible artist. Many times I have bought cards with images of her paintings on them. Now she has created this beautiful mosaic picture. It has truly been a labour of love undertaken during lent. She carefully chose the image and outlined the picture. She designed the contents of the picture. The hills, the garden, the two figures, perhaps one is Mary, kneeling. The empty tomb, the angel of the Lord appearing. Catherine had in her mind’s eye the finished product. She knew what it would look like before it came into being. I didn’t. All I could see was a blank white canvass. If I looked closely I could see a faint outline of an angel, a kneeling figure. But I didn’t know the intimate details, the colours, the beauty. But week by week the mosaic took shape. One by one, Catherine selected scraps of paper. Each carefully chosen. The right colour. Actually it was more than just colour, shades and tones mattered. Then each piece was cut. Precisely. Lovingly. And finally glued in place. Not any place, but the exact place Catherine had prepared for it long ago. Long ago when she designed the mosaic.
This mosaic is a reminder of you and me. Each one of us carefully chosen and formed by God. Each piece in the mosaic is different but each is carefully chosen, designed, and set in place. Not any old place, but a specific place. And together all the pieces make up a beautiful picture. If one was missing the picture would be incomplete. So it is with us. Each of us is set in place by God and if one of us was missing, our world would be incomplete. My world is, here on the Africa Mercy. Your world is wherever you are….your workplace, your family, your church. Each one of us is significant, made in the image of God, chosen to reflect Gods beauty. Individually we reflect in part, together we reflect the whole. God knew what he was doing when he made you. Before the full picture was finished , he chose you and made you specifically, lovingly, uniquely. No one else can replace you. He set you in place. You are valuable to him. You are valuable to your world. To the people around you.
This Easter, do you know your significance and your worth before God, the God that died for you and rose again to give you new life? If you don’t believe what I say, ponder the following statements from the bible:
Acts 17 verses 26 & 27 says God
…determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live
Psalm 139 verse 13 – 16 says about God
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
…I am fearfully and wonderfully made
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together….your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be
Esther 4 verse 14 tells us
And who knows that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.
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